Electric clock.



A. F. POOLE.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLlcAnoN man luNE H. 19u.

l Patented Dec. 23,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET i.

A. F. POOLE.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l1. 1917.

Patented Dec. 23,1919'.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

LHHWI y il* l v,

A. F. POOLE.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE II. |911.

Patented Deo. 23,1919.

Y3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

40 specification; and claims.

ARTHUR r. rooLnpr KENILWORTH, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC cLocK.

i specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee.v 23, v1919.

Application nica-June 11, 1917.` serial No. 174,058.

To all whom z' may concern.' l

Be it known that I, ARTHUR F. POOLE,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at clock;

Kenilworth, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,` have invented 4certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Clocks, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention is a self-winding electric clock, more particularly of the class of clocks employing conical pendulums as their regulating means.

One of the objects of my invention is 'to provide a self-winding clock of `the above descr'bed class which'shall possess .advantages over those of theprior art in the way of small consumption of current and slmplicity of action.

Another objectbf my invention is to provide an efficient meansof re-winding a clock employing. a conical pendulum and to design the reminding means so as to insure the conical pendulum swinging in a circle.

A further object of my invention is the provision of -an electric actuating means Jfor a conical pendulum, said means belng adapted to give the pendulum two impulses atv right'angles to each othernwhereby saidpendulumjs kept swinging 1n a true circular are. l

A still further object of my invention is the provision of the aforementioned actuating means Jfor a conical pendulum with the addition of provisions for skipping or missing an impulse in case the amplitude of vibration of the pendulum should exceed a predetermined are. Y

and other obJects of my inven' The above tion will be apparent to'those skilled` 1n the art from a perusal of the accompanylng My invention may be best understood by reference tothe accompanying figures, of

which- 'Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; e

Fig. 3 is a partial section along the line 3f3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail taken along the sectlon line 4-4 of Fig. 1 g. j

Fig. 5 is a lan view ofthe electrieactuof Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 6 is a perspective vlew of the actutaken along the line 5-5 ating mechanism forv the pendulum, said view including the electromagnets, a revolvA ing armature and also theoontact-making devices; and Fig. 7 is a, diagram showing `the path of the pendulum bobin full line and the components of its path in dotted lines.

Similar numbers of reference refer to like parts throughout all the figures.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, I have provided a base 10, which serves as a support for a tube or casing 11, which serves the double purpose of providing a casing for the battery 12 and a support for the pendulum 13 and the top of the easing 1l is a bar V14:, from' which at l15 is suspended the pendulum 13 by a fine Wire or other equivalent support. ing means 16. The bar 14 also serves as a support for the dial 17 4and gearmechanism used in connection therewith and hereinafter to be4 described. `The pendulum 13 is of the kind known asa conical pendulum, that` is, instead of vibratdial 17. Attached to ing to and fro in a plane, it swings in a p circular arc. Itis well known that a circular arc may be resolved vinto two simple harmonic vibrations of the same' amplitude and period and displaced 90 .in phase. Reerring to Fig. 7, if the pendulum is given a simple harmonic vibration in lthe line t8-101 and also la simple harmonic motion in the line 84.--102 atright angles to the lformer line, and these two motions were Aof the same amplitude and period and dis; placed in phase, the resultant path of the pendulum bob would be that of the full line lum consists of a revolving shaft 18, supported in suitable bearings 19, 20, attached "to the framework 10. On this shaft isV an armature 21' having four arms 22, 23, 24, 2,5, arranged 90 apart. An electromagnet 26, vhaving'recessed pole pieces 27, serves to attract either the arms 22, 23, ory the arms 24, 25, when current is sent through said magnet. f

The general plan of my actuating mechanism is to give. the pendulum an impulse when either of the plane components of theI motion of the pendulum decreases below a certain arc. A further purpose -is to delay Such impulses until the pendulum has moved through an arc of 90 from the point at which the giving of said impulse was deter-` mined.' It is obvious that if one were'to determine that an impulse should be given to the pendulum by the fact of the pendulums fallin below a predetermined arc and would give tat impulse at the time when said determination had been made, the component of the pendulums motion at right angles to the component determining the giving of an impulsewould beincreased. It is therefore necessary lto delay the giving of the impulse until the pendulum has moved through an arc 90 from the point at which the giving of the impulse was determined.

I shall now describe the means by which the circuit is closed' through the electric magnet 26 in order to give an impulse corresponding to the above recited conditions. The electromagnets 26 are in circuit with the battery 12, which preferably consists of ldry cells and is adapted to be contained in the casing 11. One pole of the battery is connected by the conductor 100 to the electromagnets 26 and the other pole of the battery is connected by a conductor 27 to a wire 28,l which inits turn is connected to the Contact springs 2.9, 30,.which are insulated from the framework of the'machine. y

Neglecting for a moment the contact spring 30, since the function of this spring is largely a duplication of that of the spring 29, the other side of the electromagnet 26 is connected by the conductor 31 to a conductor 32, which is common to the lower 'contact springs 33, 34. Obviously Contact of 'the springs 29 and 33, or of the springs 30 and 34, will result in current flowing throu h `the magnet 26 and attraction either of t 1e armatures 22 and 23 or the armatures 24 and 25, according to the particular pair of contact springs which have been closed. 'The contact spring 29 is insulated from the arm 35, on which said spring is mounted, and

said arm is pivoted on the framework ofthe clock at 36 and has an upwardly extending arm 37 on which is mounted a roller 38. A spring 39 extends between the arm 35 and the framework of the machine and tends to hold the arm and the thereon mounted spring 29 in contact with a stop pin 40 on the frame of the machine. The lower' contact spring 33 'is mounted on an arm 41,-. which is pivoted on the framework at 42 and is held by a sprin 43 against a stop pin 44 mounted on the ramework. The arm 41 has extending therefrom a finger 45, which is adaptedl to be enga ed by a latch 46 pivoted on the framewor latch 46 is made of steel and the upper end 48 thereof. is magnetized so as to form a perat 47. The.

1 ,825 ,sca

manent magnet. I The magnet 48 is adapted to be actuated by a permanent magnet 49,

which is on the lower end of the pendu.

lum 13.

As the pendulum swings around, it is obvious that so long as it swings in an arc so that the magnet 49 travels over the inagnet 48, the latch 46 will be dragged around by the action of the magnets 48. and 49, and

will be thrown into its position, as shown in Fig. 6. This tilting of the latch 48 determines that after the pendulum has been4 moved through an arc of 90 a short impulse will be given to it and it will be noted that this impulseV is not given until the pendulum has moved 90 from the position yshown in Fig. 1. This delaying ofthe impulse determines that the impulse which is thus given to the pendulum will be in a direction to increase the motion of the pendulum in the plane of the-paper in Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 7, when the pendulum passes 48 it is determined that an impulse shall be given, thev impulse is delayed until the pendulum has reached the point 84, when a tangential impulse is given.

This will increase the component along the line 48-101.

The impulse of the electromagnet 26 is communicated to the pendulum by means of a crank arm 50, rigid with the shaft18, 95

and having a fork 51 which embraces the pendulum rod 52. Rigid on the shaft 18 is al pin 53, which is ada ted to contact with the roller 38 and there y lower the arm 35 (Fig.l 6). Rigidly mounted on the shaft 10( 18 is a'second pin 54, which serves to contact 4 6. vAfter this is accomplished, the magnet 1,190

49 passes over the magnet 48 and attracts the latch 46 in lthc direction of motion of rthe pendulum in case the arc is of an am,- pitude determinino' that an impulse shall given. When t e pin Y54 passes out of115 contact with the roller 55, the arm 41 is held in its elevated position, as shown in Fig. 6, by the engagementpf thev latch 46 with 'the finger 45. 90 after the pendulum has passed the latch 48.-and pin 53 contacts 120 with the roller 38 and moves the same, there causing the spring 29 to be depressed, and a contact point 56 on said s ring engages with a contact poinw 57 ont e spring 33 and closes the circuit f the electromag- 125 net 26. In this position the armatures 22 and 23 are /attracted and lthe im ulse is transmitted to the pendulum ro 52 by means of the crank arm 50. As soon as the vpin 53 passes out of contact with the roller 130 38, the arm 35i returns to its normal position and opens the circuit. 90 after the circuit has been broken a pin 88 on the shaft 18 engages the roller 55 and depresses said roller to u. lower point than it was depressed by the pin 54.l This serves to engage the linger 45 with a cam surface 59 on the latch 46 and restores said latch to its normal position, where it is held by a stop pin, not shown. The latch 46 is arranged to be slightly oil' of the vertical when it is against said stop in,iso that if it has been thrown against said pin by the action of the linger It is,

on the'cam 59, 1t will remain in that position until again dragged forward by the action of the magnet 49.

To sum up the action of the mechanism just described, just before the passage of the magnet 49 over the magnet 48, the pin 54 elevates the. linger 45 into a position to -be caught by said latch in case said latch should be dragged to its alternative position by the magnet 49 on the bottom of the pendulum 13. In case the arc` of the pendulu`m is such that the magnet 49 is in the field Aof the magnet 48, the latch 46 is thrown to the position shown in Fig. 6, after which the pin 54 passes over the roller 55. The arm 41 remains in its latched position ready to close the circuit when the arm 35 vshall be subsequently acted upon by the pin 53.

It will notbe necessary to go into detail as to the descriptionv and action'of the parts 60 to 68, since they differ only from the action of the contact-making devices under control of the latch 46 in that the action of these latter parts occur 90 after the action of the former parts. y

of course, to -be noted that they action of the pin 88 upon the roller 55 does not depress said roller'I far enough to bring the contact points 56, 57, into contact a second time, since at the time the pin 88 acts on the roller 55 the arm 35 is in its normal position against the stop pin 40 and the two points 56, 57, do not come into engagement.'

f Itis, of course, necessary to provide some means 'for keeping count of the revolutions of the pendulum, and to this end I have provided the shaft 18 with a bevel gear 69 engaging a bevel gear on a horizontal shaft 71 mounted on the base 10.` A bevel gear 72 on the shaft 71 engages a bevel 73 mounted on a vertical shaft 74, on the up- ,per end of which is a worm 75, engaging` a worm gear 76 mounted on a horizontal shaft 77 supported from the bar 14. On the front end of said shaft is a reducing gear diagrammatically shown at 78, which is the proper ratio to actuate the clock hands 7 9. These gears are diagrammatically shown, since the matter of designing a gear ratio to translate the period of motion of the endulum 13 into proper motion of the han s 79 is well within the province of those skilled in the art. .I have provided a regulating nut 81, which'engages a screw thread v upon the pendulum rod 52 and thereby serves as a means to regulate the period of .vibration of the pendulum. f

The entire clock movement is mounted on A' skilled in the art, among W ich I may mention the entire absence of noise, owing to the fact of the conical pendulum being used andl also to the fact that there being no sudden. actions in which parts are accelerated and then brought to a full stop. The armatures' of the electromagnets 27 revolve past the described apparatus has many. i

poles of said magnets and the permanent` magnet 49 never comes in Contact with the"` permanent magnets 48 and the similar magnet 84 on the latch 60.

I believe I am the first to show means-'for 'i applying an impulse to the two components of motion lof a conical governing the amount orfrequency of said pendulum and' for 'l impulses by the amplitude of vibration-of ji the pendulum itself. It is obvious that my herein ing the circular motion of the pendulum 13 v described structure will maintain the 1 z i two simple harmonic vibrations constitutif]- .f

at a constant amount since if the compo- 1.

nent 48101 (Fig. 7) is exceeded the latch 48 will not be actuated and consequently when the pin '54 passes from engagement with the roller 55 the arm 41 will be returned by the spring 43 to its normal position and no impulse willbe'given upon the subsequent engagement of the pin 53 with the roller 58. v

By .the same reasoning, the lcomponent 84-102 lwill be maintained constant y the actuation or non-actuation of the magnet 84, and obviously, if the two components of the circular motion are maintained at a constant magnitude, the motion of the pendulum 13 must approximate to that of a truc circle.

11 to contain the battery 12, which is preferably in the form of a plurality of cells mounted in a single tube or unit. Batteries `position by a spring 91, which in'its turn is held to the insulating block 93 by a screw 92. It will be understood that the spring 91 is As before noted, I have provided a casingv thereby insulated` from the framework.. 'Ihe Aconductor 27 is attached to thf` spring 91 by 'y sary that my herein described inventionbe a screw 94. l

The connections to the top pole 95 .of the battery l2 are made by means of a contact plate 96, which turns about a screw 97 as a hinge and is held in contact with the pole 95 by a spring 98 also mounted on the screw 97. .The conductor 109 is attached to the hinge 96 by a screw 99. It is to be understood that both the conducting plates QI and 96 are insulated from the framework of the 'machine and that an insulating washer (not shown) is provided in the bottom of the tube or casin 11 to prevent the battery l2 from coming into electrical contact with the framework of the clock.

0f course, it is possible to ground one pole ofthe battery on the framework and use the framework itself as a part of the electric circuit. However, I prefer to keep the framework entirely insulated from the circuit, since I consider this construction more reliable.

I have shown the pendulum kept in its circular motion by maintaining two arcs of vibration in planes at right angles to each other. However, it is by no means necesconined to the right-angled arrangement. It is obvious that there might be provided three sets of contact devices like those associated with the magnet 48, these' three sets being placed at an angle of 120 with respect to eachother. Maintaining the three components of the pendulums motion equal would, of course, cause the pendulum to describe a circular arc. @ther arrangements might be used, since two or more harmonic motions of equal amplitude and period can be combined in a vast number of ways to give a resultant of circular motion.

Many changes and modiications may be made in my herein described structure without departing from the spirit of tion, since I claim:

l. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, means to give an impulse to said pendulum, means to ascertain the vibratlon 'of said pendulum in one plane and give or withhold the impulse `from. said pendulum according to said vibration, and other means :for automatically determining by the amplitude of its vibration in a second plane whether a second impulse shall be given to the pendulum.

2. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, means to give said pendulum an impulse, means controlled by the amplitude of vibration of the pendlum in one plane to determine Whether or not an impulse shall be given, and other means controlled by the amplitude of vibration in a second plane to determine Whether an impulse shall be given. Y

my inven- 3. In a clock, the combination 'of a conical pendulum, means 'to give said'pendulum an impulse, means controlled by the am litude of vibration of the pendlum in one p ane todetermine whether or'- not an .impulse shall be given, and electric means controlled by the amplitude ot vibration in a second lane to determine whether the impulse shou d be given.

4. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, means to give said pendulum an impulse, means controlled by the amplitude of vibration of. the pendulum in one plane .to determine whether or `not an impulse shall be given, and electric means controlled by the amplitude of vvibration in a second plane at right angles to said first plane to determine whether an impulse shall be i lum swinging through an arc, means to give said pendulum an impulse, and means inf cluding a permanent magnet and governed by the amplitude of vibration of the pendulum to determine Whether or not said imp ulse giving means shall be called linto action. l

8. In a clock, the combination of a pendulum, electromagnetic means adapted to give an impulse to said pendulum, magnetic means whose action is determined by the amplitude ofthe vibration of said pendulum for determining whether or `not` said impulse. shall be given.

9. In a clock, the combination of a pendulum, electromagnetic means for giving an impulse thereto, circuit making devices ineluded in the circuit of said electromagnetic means, and magnetic means whose action is governed by the vibration of xthe pendulum Ato determine the action or non-action of the circuit making devices.

10j. In a clock, the combination of a pendulum, electromagnetic means forgiving an impulse thereto, circuit closing devices associated with said electromagnetic means, magnetic determining meansk whose action is determined bythe amplitude of* vibration of the pendulum for determining'the action or non-actionof said circuit closing means.

.11. In aclock, theccmbination of a conical pendulum, a magnet 'having anormal and a' displaced positionaarranged in pron? imity to the path of said pendulum, and

ifea

means associated with the pendulum to displace said magnet from a normal position.

12. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, a latch having a magnet on one end thereof located adjacent to the path of the pendulum, said latch being adapted to keep a displaced anda normal position, and means moving with said pendulum for moving said latch from its normal and its displaced position.

13. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, a latch having a permanent magnet von one end thereof located adjacent to the path of the pendulum, said latch being adapted to keep a displaced and a normal position, and means moving with said pendulum for moving said latch from its normal and its displaced position.

14. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, a latch having a magnet on one end thereof located adjacent tothe path of the pendulum, said latch being adapted to keep a displaced and a normal position, and means moving with said pendulum for moving said latch from its normal and its displaced position when the arc of the pendulum reaches a certain predetermined limit.

15. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, a pivoted latch adapted to occupy a normal and a displaced position, said latch having magnetic means mounted on the free end thereof, .electromagnetic means adapted to give an impulse to said pendulum, circuit closing devices controlling they action of said electro-magnetic means, and

Aa shaft rotating synchronously with the pendulum and adapted to operate saidl circuit closing devices.

16. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, a pivoted latch adapted to occupy a normal and a displaced position, said latch having magnetic means mounted on the free end thereof, electromagnetic means adapted to give an impulse to said pendulum, circuit closing devices controlling the action of said electromagnetic means, and a member moving synchronously with the pendulum and adapted to operate said circuit closing devices.

17. In a clock, he combination of a conical pendulum, electromagnetic means to give an impulse thereto, circuit closin devices adapted to govern the action of sai electromagnetic means, a second set of clrcuit closing devices also adapted to govern. the action of said electromagnetic means and means connecting said circuit-closing devices and electromagnetic means, whereby either set of circuitclosing devices is adapted to deter-- mine that an impulse shall be givento said pendulum. e

18. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, electromagnetic means to give an impulse thereto, circuit closing devices adapted to govern the action of said electromagnetic means, and a second setof circuit l closing devices also adapted to govern the action of said electromagnetic means, said circuit closing devices being adapted to be brought into action by the pendulum one after the other.v

19. -In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, electromagnetic means to give an impulse thereto, circuit closing devices adapted to govern the action of said electromagnetic means, and a second set of circuit lclosing devices also adapted to govern the action of said electromagnetic means, one of saidv circuit closingl devices being adapted to be brought into action by said pendulum yat one point of its travel and the other 'of said circuit closing devices being adapted to be brought into action by said pendulum when it is in a plane at right angles to -said first point.

20. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum swinging through an arc, means to give said pendulum an impulse, and means governed by the amplitude of vibration of the pendulum to determine Whether or not said impulse giving means shall be called into action.

21. In a clock, the combination of a' conical pendulum, electromagnetic means adapted to give an impulse to said pendulum, magnetic means Whose action is determined by the amplitude ofthe vibration of ,said pendulum for determining whether or not said impulse 'shall be given. f'

22. In a clock, the combination of a conical pendulum, electromagnetic means for giving an impulse thereto, circuit making devices included in the circuit of said electromagnetic means, and magnetic means whose action is governed by the vibration of the pendulum to determine the action or of June, 1917.

ARTHUR F. POOLE. 

